Loans for Higher Education
While included in the term "financial aid" Higher Education Loans differ from scholarships and grants in that they must be paid back. They come in several varieties in the United States:
Federal Student Loans made to students directly: No payments until after graduation, but amounts are quite limited
Federal Student Loans made to parents: Much higher limit, but payments start immediately
Private Student Loans made to students or parents: Higher limits and no payments until after graduation, although interest will start to accrue immediately.

SallieMae
Nation's leading provider of student loans, helping millions of Americans achieve their dream of a higher education. The company primarily provides federal and private student loans, including consolidation loans, for undergraduate and graduate students and their parents.

Sallie Mae owns or manages student loans for nearly 10 million customers, administers more than $11 billion in college savings accounts for 1 million customers through its Upromise subsidiary and employs approximately 12,000 individuals at offices nationwide.

Student Loan
With tuition costs continuing to rise, it will be beneficial to prepare for how you will pay for college as far in advance of your college career as possible. Important factors to consider include financing options (student loans in particular), interest rates, and tax benefits. On studentloan.com, you’ll find all the information you need to learn more about paying for college. Federal student loans are low interest, long-term loans for undergraduate and graduate students, which offers attractive repayment options including the ability to postpone payments if you are having difficulty during repayment. The Federal Student Loan program includes loans for both parents and students.

Scholarships, grants and school sponsored funding options typically do not fully meet the total cost of attendance. Citibank is committed to helping you afford the school of your choice and offers loan options to meet everyone's situation. To learn more about Citibank student loans, check out our Loan Products page. In addition, Citibank offers the CitiAssist ® Loan, an alternative loan designed to assist undergraduate and graduate students afford the school of their choice.

To learn more about the various student loans available, check out our Loan Products information.

NSLDS
The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) central database for student aid. NSLDS receives data from schools, guaranty agencies, the Direct Loan program, the Pell Grant program, and other Department of ED programs. NSLDS Student Access provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and Pell grants so that recipients of Title IV Aid can access and inquire about their Title IV loans and/or Pell grant data.

US Department of Education
The Department (ED) will provide more than $78 billion this year, about 60 percent of all student aid, to help millions of students and families pay for postsecondary education.

If you're exploring options for paying for college, you'll learn about the various kinds of financial aid (loans, grants, and work-study), how to apply, common myths, and more.

Financial aid professionals at banks, colleges, guaranty agencies, and other postsecondary or lending institutions will want to see our online library of technical publications, regulations, and policy guidance on the administration of the student financial assistance programs.